Nov 3, 2017
Part Four of Six
A coach can have a huge impact on the lives of his or her clients, and I certainly know that’s been the case for me. I’ve worked with five different coaches. I hired each one for a different reason, at a different time in my life and career.
That being said, the work I did with each coach built upon the work I’d done before. My results have been greater because at each step of the way, I’ve already laid the foundation for further growth and expansion.
Here’s a summary of my experience with my third coach:
The Coach:
Regena Thomashauer
Why I Hired Her:
I hired Regena because I knew I needed to evolve as a woman in order to cross the seven-figure mark in my business. It’s not about the millions; it’s about who you become on the way to making millions. The leader of a five-figure business is not the same person as the leader of a six-figure business. The leader of a six-figure business is not the same person as the leader of a seven-figure business.
How She Helped Me:
I knew my big business vision—to cross the seven-figure mark and to impact thousands—and I knew I needed to evolve on a personal level: intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and energetically.
I also knew that what got me to where I was before I hired Regena would not get me to where I wanted to be.
When I first enrolled with her—with the feminine-centered concept of personal development in mind—my husband asked me why I was signing up. He said I was already an amazing woman, and wondered why I needed this work.
He had a point: at the time (nine years ago), my life was a 10 out of 10. Every part of it was off-the-charts amazing. I was newly married. My coaching business was thriving. I was going on incredible adventures.
But here’s what I told him: I was afraid that if I didn’t pay attention, I’d start to take all that awesomeness for granted and it would fade. I didn’t want that to happen.
Regena had more knowledge than I did at the time about what it means to live fully as a woman in this world. I knew she could help me define my next level 10, for my life and my business. And that’s exactly what she did.
She expanded my knowledge and my capacity as a woman so I could continue to create the life beyond my wildest dreams. As my capacity grew—as a woman—so could my vision, mindset, and leadership as a business owner. They went hand in hand.
Regena gave me the tools and training to evolve with my business, in order to continue the growth I’d already created. This personal exploration was very much rooted in feminine energy.
Why She Was Invaluable on My Journey:
First, Regena taught me that people stop evolving when they focus on strategy but leave out personal development. That lesson is profound. It’s one of the biggest keys to success.
In addition to that critical golden nugget of information, she gave me the tools and training necessary for me to become a woman capable and equipped to lead a seven-figure business, and be an inspiring leader for the team that makes all the magic happen. I can use those tools to continue to evolve over time—and that is invaluable.
In Conclusion …
Working with coaches has transformed my life, personally and professionally.
Because you’re a coach, you already know about the benefits of coaching. But what you may not realize is the huge ripple effect that happens when you coach someone effectively; the amazing impact it has on his or her life for years to come.
That’s why, over the course of the next several weeks, I’ll be posting articles that focus on my coaches and what I learned through working with them. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, comment below:
Share a piece of personal development advice you’ve received as part of personal (or business) coaching. How did that advice shape your journey? If you’ve never had a coach, share a piece of advice you’ve heard from someone you consider a mentor, and how does that nugget of wisdom impact your life today?
The Importance of Coaching
Oct 31, 2017
Part Three of Six.
A coach can have a huge impact on the lives of his or her clients, and I certainly know that’s been the case for me. I’ve worked with five different coaches. I hired each one for a different reason, at a different time in my life and career.
That being said, the work I did with each coach built upon the work I’d done before. My results have been greater because at each step of the way, I’ve already laid the foundation for further growth and expansion.
Here’s a summary of my experience with my second coach:
The Coach:
Michael Port
Why I Hired Him:
Kate Steinbacher (my friend, former coach, and business partner and co-founder of The Coaches Console) and I hired Michael because we were just starting out in The Coaches Console, and we needed clarity on what kind of business we actually had.
We were coaches, coaching others, and had only ever had a coaching business providing coaching services. Then, we launched our software and technology and offered that to coaches. Running a technology was a whole different model that required a different mindset and skillset. It was a whole different landscape, and we needed help getting clear on our business model.
We were the proud owners of a tech company—but we were coaches, not techies.
How He Helped Us:
Michael helped Kate and I get clear on our business model so we could grow it.
He helped us with visioning and business planning; more specifically, he guided us in the powerful process of figuring out which specific tasks we needed to complete in which areas to translate our business plan into reality.
Finally, he introduced us to our programmer, who eventually became our Chief Technology Officer.
Why He Was Invaluable on My Journey:
Michael was invaluable on my journey because he gave us the clarity we needed to identify what, specifically, we brought to the market, and how, specifically, to use it to reach our mission.
One of the greatest lessons Michael shared with me (and that still impacts my business and life 12 years later) was: “Become profoundly comfortable with the discomfort of being an entrepreneur.”
He coached Kate and I through what it really means to live as an entrepreneur: to be a leader and to show the way, to take risks, and to continually improve while creating the discipline to navigate yourself (with support) toward your dreams and goals.
In Conclusion …
Working with coaches has transformed my life, personally and professionally.
Because you’re a coach, you already know about the benefits of coaching. But what you may not realize is the huge ripple effect that happens when you coach someone effectively; the amazing impact it has on his or her life for years to come.
That’s why, over the course of the next several weeks, I’ll be posting articles that focus on my coaches and what I learned through working with them. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, comment below:
When you worked with a coach, how did he or she help you overcome one of your biggest obstacles, and what impact did that have on your life as a result? Post below and let’s celebrate together! If you haven’t worked with a coach, post below and let me know how you could imagine a coach (as a guide, accountability partner, confidant, and trusted resource) helping you to overcome an obstacle you’re facing now. What would that mean for your life and business?
The Importance of Coaching
Oct 27, 2017
Part Two of Six.
A coach can have a huge impact on the lives of his or her clients, and I certainly know that’s been the case for me. I’ve worked with five different coaches. I hired each one for a different reason, at a different time in my life and career.
That being said, the work I did with each coach built upon the work I’d done before. My results have been greater because at each step of the way, I’ve already laid the foundation for further growth and expansion.
Here’s a summary of my experience with my first coach:
The Coach:
Kate Steinbacher, co-founder of The Coaches Console
Why I Hired Her (Twice):
The first time: When I was still in Corporate America, I hired Kate—my ski buddy—as a life coach. Recently divorced, I was on my own—and for the first time in a long time, I had to figure out what I wanted. I felt like I had all the pieces to my life … but I didn’t know how to put them together. I felt uncertain and scrambled.
The second time: When I got fired, I knew I didn’t want another job. I wanted to pursue my hobby—coaching—and turn it into a business.
How She Helped Me:
The first time: Kate helped me put all those pieces together and discover that not only did I love coaching, but also that it is my zone of genius.
The second time: Kate helped me get clear on the pieces I needed to turn my hobby into a business, and then she gave me a sense of possibility—and accountability—to make it happen (and it didn’t hurt that she made it fun, too).
Why She Was Invaluable on My Journey:
Kate was and is valuable on my journey because she helped me get clear on the fact that I wanted to get unstuck and move forward with the mantra, “Go big or go home” … and on how to do that.
More than anything, though, Kate’s encouragement was and is invaluable. So often in pursuing the launch and growth of my business, I hit dead ends, encountered areas I didn’t know anything about, or felt like the whole thing was impossible.
In those dark moments, Kate’s coaching allowed me to quiet my doubts and fears so my courage was just one degree louder … loud enough for me to continue moving forward on my journey.
I’m confident that without her encouragement, I would have fallen prey to my fears and doubts. I would have given up, retreating to the safety of my comfort zone.
I’m also confident that if I had given up and had found another job, I would have loved it and I would have been happy (that’s just how I roll).
But through Kate’s coaching, I surpassed happy and made it to fulfilled, ecstatic and empowered about my business, my life, and myself as a woman. That’s way better than “happy”!
One of the lessons Kate taught me early on in my business and in my coaching was to never ask my clients to do anything I hadn’t done myself or wasn’t willing to do. This has been an integral part of my life and business, and helps me continue to walk my talk and practice what I preach 15 years later.
In Conclusion …
Working with coaches has transformed my life, personally and professionally.
Because you’re a coach, you already know about the benefits of coaching. But what you may not realize is the huge ripple effect that happens when you coach someone effectively; the amazing impact it has on his or her life for years to come.
That’s why, over the course of the next several weeks, I’ll be posting articles that focus on my coaches and what I learned through working with them. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, comment below:
What was one valuable lesson you learned from your very first coach that still impacts your world today? And if you haven’t worked with a coach, that’s okay (for now). Post below about how you think a coach might be able to support you in reaching a goal or a dream you have for your life or business.
The Importance of Coaching
Oct 23, 2017
Part One of Six.
As The Coaches Console business grows, so does the community (which I absolutely LOVE—only in my wildest dreams did I imagine building a community of amazing coach-preneurs passionate about changing the world!).
As more and more coaches join The Coaches Console family and I share parts of my story, I find that they’re curious about my own path—from being let go at my corporate job to becoming the co-founder of a business that’s getting the world coached one person at a time—while climbing steadily beyond seven figures.
As is my nature, I’ve spent some time thinking about the “how” behind the journey thus far, looking for a way to systemize it (you know by now that I LOVE systems, right?).
My thinking revealed an interesting pattern, which is that there are two things I never go without:
A mastermind
A coach
Mastermind
A mastermind is a community of like-minded and like-spirited people who are on a journey similar to yours. Masterminds meet regularly (in person or virtually) to share ideas about challenges, strategies, and wins.
In every mastermind experience I’ve had, I’ve found a safe, confidential place to show up not knowing, ask questions, research, and enjoy mutual support.
As a coach-preneur, you’re facing two distinct situations.
First, entrepreneurship can be lonely, because it’s akin to a personal development journey. In order to grow your business, you have to face your greatest fears, and conquer them. Having the support and understanding of a group of people who have completed—or are currently traveling—that same journey is invaluable.
Which brings me to my second point: as an entrepreneur offering your services to your community and your clients, you’re farther down the personal development path. Therefore, when you’re wearing your coach-preneur hat, you’re constantly in a leadership position.
However, when you join a mastermind, you become part of a group of people accustomed to being in that leadership position. Your fellow mastermind members are having experiences similar to yours. In this situation, then, you don’t always have to be the leader … you can learn and lead at the same time, and relax into the mastermind without worrying about whether you seem “polished” or “like you know what you’re talking about.”
In addition to the emotional benefits of joining a mastermind, there are skill-related benefits, too. Each member of a mastermind group brings unique skills and experiences to the table. Therefore, I am constantly learning—and sharing my own lessons.
The longer I’ve been in a mastermind group, the better results I’ve gotten in terms of new knowledge, emotional support, bigger goals and visions, and creative solutions. And did I mention friendship?
There’s nothing like a warm, nurturing group of people who believe in you to lift you up as you do the same for them.
And you know this! Because you’re a treasured member of The Coaches Console community, where brilliant, passionate coach-preneurs come together to share ideas, offer advice, and lift each other up!
Coach
The brilliant people in my mastermind group always give me great ideas and advice, and sometimes I need clarity on how to take what I learn and translate it to my business. The accountability is great, too.
Because I’m a coach, I place tremendous value on walking my walk.
I know coaching works. I know I need a coach, especially because I want to move as quickly as possible as I strive to make my vision—getting the whole world coached—a reality.
My own coaches have helped me:
- Gain clarity about how to move forward from being divorced and fired to starting my own coaching business … in essence, by taking all the pieces of my life and put them together to figure out how to move forward.
- Fine-tune the plan for my business so I could get unstuck when I hit a plateau and couldn’t get past a certain number of clients or a certain revenue point, no matter what I tried.
- Become the person I needed to become to lead the business I wanted to create.
- Understand the meaning behind the metrics and measurements in our business, and use those to adjust The Coaches Console business model so it could finally reach the seven-figure mark.
- Develop confidence when navigating the management and growth of a multi-faceted company I’ve built so far, so it could become even more efficient and effective.
Overall, the five people I’ve hired as coaches have guided me toward greater clarity and efficiency, so I continue to grow and expand as I reach one goal and set another, bigger, brighter one.
They’ve helped me become a better version of myself, so I could create a better version of my business.
In Conclusion …
Participating in a mastermind group and working with coaches have revolutionized my life, personally and professionally.
Because you’re a coach, you already know about the benefits of coaching. But what you may not realize is the huge ripple effect that happens when you coach someone effectively: the amazing impact it has on his or her life for years to come.
That’s why, over the course of the next several weeks, I’ll be posting articles that focus on each of my coaches and what I learned through working with them. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, comment below:
Do you have your own coach? If so, what is one way he or she has impacted your life or business? I’d love to hear from you.
The Importance of Coaching
Oct 16, 2017
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve entered into a conversation with a coach who says she wants to start her coaching business, but she “doesn’t have time.”
Does this sound familiar?
You have a full-time J-O-B. You have a spouse and kids and friends. You have errands and cooking and dishes. You have to get an oil change. And if it’s an oil change this week, it’s a doctor’s appointment next week, and a filling the following week.
Life is busy, and starting your own business seems insurmountable, given all the time constraints you face.
If you’re here, I consider you one of my unofficial coaching clients. So today, you can expect to get a little tough-love-style coaching. (You’re welcome. 🙂 )
If you don’t think you have enough time to start your business, you’re wrong. (I know. Ouch. But stick with me.)
This is NOT an issue of time management. It’s an issue of priorities.
You see, time is your most precious commodity. It’s a non-renewable resource.
You give your time to the things you consider most important.
Sometimes, when you’re not paying attention, your calendar gets full with the “external.” Maybe a friend invites you to lunch and you pencil it in. You realize you’ve run out of milk and you have to run to the store. You volunteer to run a bake sale at your kids’ school, and that’s an hour out of your day. See where I’m going with this? We allow outside influences (friends, family, boss, kid-related activities and events, etc.) to add countless items to our calendar all the time.
In cases like these, life happens TO you. It really can feel like you don’t have time to think about, focus on, or (especially) work on your business.
Don’t worry, there is good news in all of this: you can regain control of your time and your life. And you can make the time to work on your business.
It’s all about priorities.
Here’s a simple exercise for determining where your priorities are now, whether they align with what you want them to be, and how to adjust them if they don’t.
Identify What’s Most Important to You.
I always love a good brain dump! Take a few minutes to write down the things that are most important to you, right now. These may take the form of goals, like running a marathon or starting your business, or activities, like spending time with your family or exercising. Then, prioritize them. Put a #1 next to the item that’s absolutely the most important to you, and go from there.
Identify Your Current (Real) Priorities.
When I say, “Identify your current priorities,” I mean, figure out where you’re investing your time. Look at your calendar or schedule for the past several days or week, and write down the three activities on which you spend most of your time.
Compare Your Current Priorities with the Priorities You Chose in Step 1.
Once you know where you’re investing your time, evaluate whether those activities are in alignment with the most important things in your life.
If your current priorities align with the three most important things in your life, that’s great! And if your business isn’t on either list, that’s okay—now may not be the right time for your business.
On the other hand, you may identify your top three priorities and realize they’re not the most important things in your life right now.
Adjust Your Schedule.
Becoming conscious of where you’re investing your time versus where you should be investing your time, if you want to focus on your priorities, is an important step toward making time for what truly matters to you.
Now, it’s time to make changes to your schedule that empower you to give time to your true priorities.
Here’s another piece of coaching: you may need to let go of some things that are not easy to let go of.
- For example, if you’re accustomed to working 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in your day job, consider working 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and working on your business for those two remaining hours.
- If you’re accustomed to waking up at 7 a.m. to start your day, get up at 5 a.m.
- Take shorter lunch breaks.
- Spend a couple of hours every weekend morning working on your business.
- Say no to lunch out, so you can work on your business during day-job lunch breaks.
I’m telling you, this works.
A recent graduate of our Easy Breezy Coaching Business Bootcamp was supporting her husband, and they had three kids under seven and a fourth on the way. Her business was a top priority, so she got creative and resourceful and was able to get her business up and running by fitting entrepreneurship in with her family (and other) responsibilities.
A current Bootcamper has two kids, a full-time job, and a part-time job. She’s supporting her husband. Getting her business up and running is a priority. That’s why she finds time to work on it! She wakes up earlier, takes shorter lunch breaks, and finds little chunks of time—because it’s important to her.
Even small chunks of time can yield amazing results. (Think about how much you get done in an eight-hour period before you go on vacation!)
Repeat This Mantra:
“I have all the time I need for my priorities.”
Work It!
Once you get used to prioritizing and setting your schedule around your priorities, you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done.
I’d love to hear from you!
Post in the comments below: right off the bat, can you think of anything you’re spending your time on, that’s not actually one of your priorities?
